Glossary

Accessorial Charges

Extra charges applied for services performed above what is considered standard.

Accessorial Services

Service performed in addition to the normal transportation service (e.g., COD service, inside delivery).

Agent

When one party is authorized to transact certain business for the other.

Air Brakes

Heavy trucks use air brakes exclusively to stop the rig. When the brakes are applied, air enters the brake chamber. The air forces a push rod out, turning a slack adjuster that rotates an “S” cam. This in turn forces the brake shoes against the drum, applying the friction required to slow down or stop the truck.

Assembly

Also known as kitting, assembly is the process of packaging bulk components into finished goods at a warehouse or an outsource facility. The product’s components are picked and inserted into end-use packaging.

Asset-Based Provider

A carrier that actually has the assets (e.g., trucks, terminals, warehouses, etc.) to provide physical pickup, line-haul and delivery service.

Astray Freight

When part or all of a shipment moves on a route different from the standard route shown in the computer.

ATA Carnet

A customs document enabling one to carry or send goods temporarily into certain foreign countries without paying duties or posting bonds.

Authorized Party

The entity that can legally provide instructions that override those contained in the BOL; usually the shipper, occasionally the third party or the consignee.

Backhaul

The opposite of head haul. Traditionally referred to as the return trip of a transportation vehicle (usually a truck). Now, it generally refers to the least revenue-generating leg of a shipment haul. A backhaul can be with a full or partially loaded trailer.

Batch picking

Order picking method where orders are grouped into small batches. An order picker will pick all orders within the batch in one pass.

Bill of Lading (B/L or BOL)

A legal document signed by the shipper and carrier tendering the responsibility of the freight to the carrier. The BOL states pertinent information for the shipment such as the complete address of the shipper and consignee, number of pieces, description, weight and any hazardous material information.

Bill No Freight (BNF)

Entire shipment short.

Bobtailing

Driving a tractor without a trailer attached.

Booking

An arrangement with a shipping company for the acceptance and carriage of freight.

Break a Trailer

Unload a trailer.

Break Terminal (Break-bulk)

The consolidation of freight from several terminals to build full loads that concentrate on longer haul lanes.

Broker

See Transportation Broker.

Canada Customs Invoice

A commercial invoice for northbound shipments going into Canada that accompanies the shipment from point of pickup to customs clearance.

Canadian Customs Broker

A licensed person or firm engaged in entering and clearing goods through customs for a client (importer). All shipments to and from Canada require a broker. The Canadian consignee typically selects the broker.

Carousel

Type of automated material handling equipment generally used for high-volume, small-parts order-picking operations.

Carrier

An individual, partnership or corporation engaged in the business of transporting goods.

Certificate of Origin

Required by the customs broker to determine the correct rate of duty under the North American Free trade Agreement (NAFTA).

City Dispatch

The part of the terminal operations charged with coordinating the pickup and delivery of shipments.

City Driver (P&D Driver)

A driver that is responsible for making pickups and deliveries from a specific terminal location. These drivers usually have a geographical area that they operate within. A city driver usually makes deliveries in the morning and picks up freight in the afternoon.

City Loading Diagram

A form used by destination dock personnel to record each shipment on a city trailer as it is loaded. It must include the initials of each person loading the freight on the trailer. This form also includes such information as the date, trailer number, delivery area the P&D driver will be running, PRO number and number of pieces in each shipment.

City Run (Pedal Run)

A route in which the driver stays within the boundaries serviced by the terminal.

Claim

A written request to a carrier from a shipper to be compensated for loss, damage, delay or overcharge of a package transported by that carrier.

Class

A rating assigned to products based on their value and shipping characteristics, e.g., density and how the freight is packaged. It is a system of seventeen classes, from class 50 to 500, which determines the rate.

COD (Cash on Delivery)

Refers to the payment for the goods being shipped. If this section of the Bill of Lading is filled in, the carrier cannot deliver the goods unless payment is collected at time of delivery for the goods. This money is collected on behalf of the shipper.

Collect (COL)

Freight charges to be paid by the consignee upon delivery or charged to their established account.

Commercial Invoice/Pro Forma

The bill of sale that contains all relevant shipping information such as payment terms, quantities, prices, discounts and a complete description of the shipment.

Commodity

Goods shipped.

Common Carrier

Any person or company available to the general public for transportation of property by motor vehicle over regular or irregular routes in interstate and/ or intrastate commerce.

Concealed Damage/Shortage

Customer calls the carrier to declare an exception to their shipment after delivery has occurred and after the carrier has received a clear delivery receipt. Industry standard for reporting concealed damage is 15 days after delivery.

Consignee

Person or company receiving freight from point of origin.

Consignor

Person or company shipping freight to point of des

Consolidation

The act of combining multiple shipments into one larger shipment going to a specific destination.

Containerization

The practice or technique of using a box-like or other device in which a number of packages are stored, protected and handled as a unit in transit.

Contract

A contract is a legally binding agreement that defines and governs the rights and duties between or among its parties

Country of Origin

The country in which a product or commodity is manufactured or produced.

Cross-Dock

Typically, the action of unloading materials from an inbound trailer or rail car and immediately loading these materials in outbound trailers or rail cars, thus eliminating the need for warehousing/storage.

Crossmember, rear

The transverse member at the extreme rear of a trailer to which the bumper is normally mounted and on which the stop, tail and turn lights are often installed.

Cube

A term used to describe the space used in a trailer based on floor space and height.

Cubic Inches (Cu. In.)

The length times the width times the height of a given box or package; used in determining density factors, dimensional weights and container capacity.

Customer Order Number

The number used by the customer to identify the purchase of the goods.

Customs

The agency or procedure for collecting duties imposed by a country on imports or exports.

Customs Broker

A company who clears freight through customs for an importer. The broker submits all pertinent customs documentation and pays any duties/taxes incurred on the importer’s behalf. A freight forwarder and customs broker are not mutually exclusive, though oftentimes, forwarders offer brokerage as well.

Customs Clearance

The act of obtaining permission to import merchandise from another country into the importing nation.

CWT

Per hundred weight. Hundred weight is equal to exactly 100 pounds.

Cycle Count

Refers to the process of regularly scheduled inventory counts (usually daily) that “cycle” through your inventory.

Damage

Goods that sustain injury before, during or after transit, which can result in the shipper’s, consignee’s or carrier’s liability.

Dead Head (Dead-Heading)

A shipment from one terminal to another with no applicable freight charges. Also used to describe the return of an empty transportation container/ trailer back to a terminal or facility (empty backhaul).

Declared Value (Code: “DEC”)

Documents the total dollar value of the goods being shipped by the shipper. This is necessary when the rates applied to a shipment are based on the value of the goods.

Delivery

The act of transferring freight from the carrier to the consignee.

Delivery Receipt (DR)

A legal document signed by the consignee and ITF Group that completes the contract of carriage when the freight is received.

Demurrage

The detention of containers by the shippers or receivers of freight beyond the specified free time. See also Waiting Time.

Destination

Final delivery point.

Department of Transportation (DOT)

The governing body concerned about any commerce that crosses state lines. Principally, this segment of the government regulates the interstate truck operations.

Direct Loading

Loading of shipments direct from one service center to another without an intermediate stop for rehandling.

Dispatch/Dispatcher

The scheduling and control of intercity traffic and intracity pickup and delivery; an individual tasked to assign available transportation loads to available drivers.

Disposition

Authorized instructions given to a common carrier regarding the movement of a shipment.

Distressed Freight

Any shipment that has a problem causing either a delay in delivery service or non-delivery.

Distribution

The activities associated with the movement of material—usually finished goods or service parts—from the manufacturer to the customer. Can include the following: assembly, transportation, warehousing, inventory control, material handling, order administration, site and location analysis, industrial packaging, data processing, and the communications network necessary for effective management.

Distribution Service

A service in which the carrier accepts one shipment from one shipper and, after transporting it as a single shipment, separates it into a number of parts at the destination and distributes them to many receivers.

Dock

A space used for receiving merchandise at a freight terminal.

Dock Personnel

Persons hired to load and unload freight from the trailers.

Dolly

An auxiliary axle assembly equipped with a fifth wheel (coupling device), for the purpose of converting a semi-trailer into a full-trailer (or for hauling multiple trailers behind a single power unit). The dolly, or converter dolly, is towed by a semi-trailer and supports the front of, and tows, another semi-trailer. Also referred to as “bogie”.

Drop Trailer

A situation where the carrier spots, or drops off a trailer at the customer’s location for loading and/or unloading of freight without the carrier’s driver being present.

Drop Trailer Agreement

A mutual agreement in writing between the customer and ITF Group when a trailer is spotted for loading and/or unloading purposes.

Dunnage

Items such as scrap pallets, cardboard, etc., which are used to secure freight by filling in the spaces between boxes.

Duty

The tax imposed by a government on merchandise imported from another country.

Employer Identification Number (EIN)

An EIN is also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, and is used to identify a business entity.

Empties

Trailers without freight.

En Route

On the way to the destination.

Exclusive Use

Full use of a carrier’s trailer by one customer. No other customer’s freight is allowed on the trailer.

Expedite

Rush handling of a shipment.

FCL (Full Container Load)

The most common types of containers are 20′, 40′ and 40′ “High- Cube” containers.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCA)

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was established as a separate administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation. Its primary mission is to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses.

FIFO

First-in-first-out. In warehousing, it describes the method of rotating inventory to use oldest product first.

Fifth Wheel

A coupling device mounted to a tractor or a dolly used to connect a semi-trailer and a tractor, or two semi-trailers. A semi-truck trailer is supported at the rear by its own wheels and at the front by the fifth wheel, which is mounted to a tractor or dolly.

Fill Rate

Sales order processing measurement that quantifies the ability to fill orders.

Forklift (Tow Motor)

A motorized vehicle used to move freight that cannot be handled with a dock cart.

Forklift Extensions

Longer blades that are attached to the regular blades of the forklift to enable it to move odd-shaped freight and long pallets.

Freight charge

Payment due for freight transportation.

Freight Forwarder

The company authorized by a shipper to perform the services required to facilitate the export of items from the United States.

FSC

See Fuel Surcharge.

Fuel Surcharge (FSC)

An additional charge added to the freight bill for the price of fuel according to the National Fuel Index to offset the high cost of fuel.

Fulfillment

A process that supplies a finished manufactured product directly from a manufacturing facility to a distributor or end user. The fulfillment cycle may include receiving customer orders, configuring the products to order, shipping and invoicing products to distribution outlets or end users.

Full Trailer

A truck trailer with wheels on both ends (as compared to a semitrailer in which the front rests on the rear of the power unit).

Gaylord

The trade name for a large, reusable, standard-sized corrugated container used for shipping materials.

Gross Weight

The entire weight of a shipment including containers and packaging materials.

Hand Truck

A manual device used to move piece goods, cartons and appliances. It usually has two wheels.

Head Haul

The term used to define the highest revenue-generating shipping lane from shipper to consignee. Opposite of backhaul.

Head Load

First load used to start a trailer.

Hostler

An individual employed to move trucks and trailers within a terminal or warehouse yard area. See yard jockey.

Hours of Service (HOS)

A ruling that stipulates the amount of time a driver is allowed to work enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. On January 4, 2004, the HOS rule was changed from a driver being allowed to drive for 10 hours and break for 8 consecutive hours with 15 hours on duty in a day to the current rule of driving for 11 hours and breaking for 10 consecutive hours with 14 hours on duty.

Image

A visual impression of a document such as a Bill of Lading and/or a delivery receipt.

Import

To bring merchandise into a country from another country or overseas territory.

Import License

A governmental document that permits the importation of a product or material into a country where such licenses are necessary.

Inbound

Freight moving toward a terminal.

Incoterm

A codification of international rules for the uniform interpretation of common contract clauses in export/import transactions involving goods. Developed and issued by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris.

Inside Pickup and
Delivery Service

Pickup or delivery service to locations other than the shipping dock.

Inspection

An examination, viewing or checking over for the purpose of ascertaining the quality, authenticity or conditions of an item or product.

Intact

To keep the shipment whole and/or undisturbed by shrink-wrap, banding, plastic straps or gaylords.

Intermodal

Relating to transportation by more than one means of conveyance. For instance, transportation by both truck and rail is referred to as intermodal transportation.

Interstate

Freight moving between states.

Intrastate

Freight moving within a state.

King Pin

A large steel pin located beneath the front of a trailer. The king pin fits down into the jaws on the fifth wheel of a tractor or a dolly, thereby hooking the tractor up to the trailer, or the pup up to the first trailer.

Kitting

See Assembly

LCL

Less-than-Container-Load

Left on Board (LOB)

Freight that has not been worked or taken off a trailer.

Legal Holidays

Any national, state, provincial or local legal holiday.

Less-than-Container-Load

See LCL

Less-Than-Truckload (LTL)

Less than a truckload.

Lift Gate

A power-operated tailgate capable of lifting a load from street level to the level of a truck or trailer floor or vice versa.

Line-haul

The movement of freight over the road/rail from origin terminal to destination terminal, usually over long distances.

Load Bars

Removable metal bars used to brace freight inside the trailer.

Load Lock

A device used to secure and brace freight in a trailer.

Load Manifest

See Manifest.

Load Racks

Racks used like shelves in a trailer to add an additional layer of loading space.

Load Pedal Run

A trailer loaded with numerous shipments that are to be delivered within the geographical area that a terminal services. Also referred to as a City Run.

Locator System

Locator systems are inventory-tracking systems that allow you to assign locations to your inventory to facilitate greater tracking and the ability to store product randomly. By using locator systems, you can increase space utilization by matching the physical characteristics of your product to a location whose physical characteristics meet those specified.

Log

A driver’s record of duty for hours of service.

Logistics

All activities involved in the management of product movement, including delivering the right product from the right origin to the right destination, with the right quality and quantity, at the optimal schedule and price.

Logistics Post Trailers

Trailers that have slotted posts to attach load beams for the purpose of stacking and bracing to provide optimal protection for freight.

LTL

See Less-Than-Truckload.

Manifest

Document that lists and describes in detail the goods in a load on a vehicle. As a rule, agents at the place of loading draw up the manifest. Also referred to as the shipping document.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

A document prepared by the manufacturer that provides detailed information on hazardous as well as nonhazardous materials, including potential hazardous effects, their physical and chemical characteristics, and recommendations for appropriate protective measures as well as cleanup and disposal methods.

Maximum Charge

The highest amount of freight and/or accessorial charges ITF Group will bill the customer.

Minimum Charge

The least amount of freight and/or accessorial charges ITF Group will bill the customer.

Nose

The front of the trailer closest to the tractor.

Noted Damage

Damage discovered before or at the time of delivery of a shipment.

Noted Loss

Loss discovered before or at the time of delivery of a shipment.

Outbound

Freight on a trailer that is moving out from a terminal.

Overage

A situation where there is more freight than is specified on the freight bill.

Overflow

Added freight that, due to capacity, could not be loaded with the rest of the shipment in the original load.

Air Brakes

Extra charges applied for services performed above what is considered standard.

P&D

Pickup and delivery. Local movement of freight between the shipper (or pickup point) and the origin terminal or between the destination terminal and the consignee (or delivery point).

Packing List or Packing Slip
(Code: “PSA”)

A document provided by the shipper that travels with the freight and usually lists the contents of the shipment. It may be attached to the freight and/or the Bill of Lading or sent with the shipment as an additional piece of freight.

Pallet

A wooden frame, typically 48" × 48" used for unitizing freight.

Palletized Freight

Freight that is being shipped on a pallet.

Pallet Jack

A manual device with fork extensions that can be positioned under a pallet to move it from one location to another.

Payload

Total weight of the commodity being carried on a truck at a given time, including packaging, banding, etc.

Pick and Pack

A process, usually done in a warehouse facility, wherein a company or third party organization (usually from a warehouse facility) accepts retail orders, picks products from inventory, packs them, and then ships them to an end user.

Pick and Pass

See Zone Picking.

Pick Up

The act of transferring freight from the shipper to the carrier, ultimately delivering the freight to the consignee.

Pigtail

Cable used to transmit electrical power from the tractor to the trailer. It is so named because it is coiled like a pig’s tail.

Pintle Hook

Coupling device used in double-trailer, triple-trailer and truck-trailer combinations. It has a curved, fixed towing horn and an upper latch that opens to accept the drawbar eye of a trailer or dolly.

Placards

The square-on-point symbol on each side of the trailer signifying the hazardous materials loaded on the trailer.

Point of Origin

The terminal at which freight is received from the shipper.

Pool Distribution

To help avoid excessive offloads, multiple LTL shipments headed for a common marketplace are combined onto one trailer. The freight is then delivered to a central distribution facility for local or short-route delivery. This generally reduces handling, lowers costs and shortens transit times.

Prepaid (PPD)

Freight charges that have been or will be paid by the shipper and/or a third party.

Private Residence

Any house, apartment, barracks or dormitory serving as the living quarters of the shipper or the consignee.

Progressive Rotating Order
(PRO)

See PRO Number.

PRO Labels

Self-adhesive stickers used to identify shipments. They are placed on the customer’s Bill of Lading, the freight bill and the freight itself.

PRO Number

Pre-assigned, ten-digit freight bill number given to each shipment to serve as a tracking number. PRO is an acronym for “progressive rotating order.”

Proof of Delivery (POD)

Information supplied by the carrier containing the name of the person who signed for the shipment, the time and date of delivery, and other shipment delivery-related information.

Public Auction

The sale of any shipment or portion of a shipment that is on-hand to the highest bidder by an auctioneer hired by ITF Group.

Pull Deployment

See Automatic Store Replenishment.

Pup

A 28-foot trailer.

Rapid Clear Form

This form allows you to reduce the amount of paperwork involved in crossborder shipping since it replaces the need to complete the Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice and Certificate of Origin.

Rates

Basic cost of a shipment, excluding accessorial charges.

Reconsignment

Any changes made in the consignment of a shipment before delivery is accomplished.

Recovery Drum

An oversized container in which a damaged shipping container can be placed to contain leaks. Can be either plastic or metal.

Redelivery

An attempt to deliver the freight back to the consignee after the freight was originally refused.

Refusal

Freight for which delivery was attempted; however, the consignee was not willing to accept the goods for a number of potential reasons.

Return to Shipper

A shipment being sent back to the shipper with or without freight/ accessorial charges.

Reverse Logistics

Service that enables end users to reposition used, damaged or outdated products or reusable packaging sometimes called returns. These items are retrieved from end users, consolidated and delivered back to the requestor’s centralized receiving locations.

Road Driver

A driver that does not usually perform the final delivery of the freight; rather, the road driver hauls the freight from terminal to terminal, generally during the night.

Safety stock

Quantity of inventory used in inventory management systems to allow for deviations in demand or supply.

Salvage

The portion of damaged goods or property that has been saved or recovered.

SCAC

Standard Carrier Alpha Code. See Owner Code.

Seal Intact

The seal placed on a trailer door that has not been broken.

Seals and Locks

Devices designed to ensure the security and contents of a trailer. Seals are metal, self-locking strips with numbers that match the numbers on the manifest. They have to actually be broken in order to access the contents of the trailer.

Semi

A truck trailer with no front-end axle. A king pin underneath the front end of the trailer attaches to a fifth wheel allowing that end of the trailer to rest on a tractor or a dolly. It is supported at the rear by its own wheels.

Shipment

A single consignment of one or more pieces from one shipper, at one address; signed for in one lot; and moving on one waybill to one receiver at one destination.

Shipper

The person/company that gives the shipment to the carrier for delivery to the consignee; the person/company shipping the freight.

Shipper’s Load and Count (SLC)

Standard Bill of Lading and manifest clause used by mutual agreement of both shipper and carrier for containerized cargo that is loaded and sealed by the shipper. As a result, the piece count in the container is not checked or otherwise verified by the carrier.

Shipper’s Load and Count Agreement

A mutual agreement in writing between the shipper and the carrier. This agreement is signed when a trailer is dropped for the shipper to load the freight without a driver being present.

Shipping Manifest System

Software used to associate shipments with carrier, service, rate, etc. Shipping manifest systems will produce a report (physical or electronic) that is sent to the carrier to be used for billing purposes.

Shortage

A situation that occurs when a shipment has fewer pieces than are called for on the freight bill.

Sleeper

A truck tractor that has a sleeping compartment in the cab.

Sleeper Teams

Two drivers who operate a truck equipped with a sleeper berth. While one driver sleeps in the berth to accumulate mandatory off-duty time, the other driver operates the vehicle.

Spotting

Placing a container in a required place for loading or unloading.

Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC)

See Owner Code.

Storage Charges

Costs that begin to accrue after the shipper has been notified of non-delivery and has not provided disposition.

Stripping

The act of unloading a trailer.

Supply Chain

The organization of processes used to move goods from the customer order through the raw materials stage, assembly, supply, production and distribution of products to the customer.

Tare Weight

The weight of a container and/or packing materials without the weight of the goods it contains (the actual weight of the empty container).

Third Party

Paying party other than the shipper or consignee. Terms can be prepaid or collect.

Trace

To check the movement of a shipment.

Tractor

The cab, or the engine-powered vehicle, used to pull a trailer.

Tractor Trailer

Tractor and semitrailer combination; a complete rig.

Trailer

The part of the rig used to haul goods. It is hooked up to an engine-powered tractor.

Trailer Exception Report

This is a form used by the unloading terminal alerting the shippers and/ or carriers of any exceptions on freight picked up on a Shipper’s Load and Count basis. The report must be given to the shipper within 24 hours after first break of a trailer.

Transportation Broker

A person whose business it is to prepare shipping and customs documents for international shipments. Brokers often have offices at major freight gateways, including border crossings, seaports, and airports. See also Customs Broker.

Truckload

Truckload shipping is the movement of large amounts of homogeneous cargo, generally the amount necessary to fill an entire semi-trailer or intermodal container.

Unloading Manifest (Road)

A document that lists all the shipments on the trailer and is used by dock personnel in the unloading of freight. This document is also used to record any exceptions off the trailer.

Van

A trailer with an enclosed cargo space.

Waiting Time

When a vehicle is held at a pickup or delivery site beyond the specified free time.

Warehouse

Storage place for products. Principal warehouse activities include receipt of product, storage, order picking and shipment.

Waybill

A document issued by a carrier giving details and instructions relating to the shipment of a consignment of goods.

WMS (Warehouse Management System)

A software application designed to support and optimize warehouse functionality and distribution center management.

Yard Jockey

Person who operates a yard tractor.

Yard Tractor (Yard Mule)

Special tractor used to move trailers around a terminal, warehouse, distribution center, etc.

Zone

An area or route for pickup and/or delivery operations. Also applies to specific areas of the dock for loading and unloading.

Glossary

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Z

Accessorial Charges

Extra charges applied for services performed above what is considered standard.

Accessorial Services

Service performed in addition to the normal transportation service (e.g., COD service, inside delivery).

Agent

When one party is authorized to transact certain business for the other.

Air Brakes

Heavy trucks use air brakes exclusively to stop the rig. When the brakes are applied, air enters the brake chamber. The air forces a push rod out, turning a slack adjuster that rotates an “S” cam. This in turn forces the brake shoes against the drum, applying the friction required to slow down or stop the truck.

Assembly

Also known as kitting, assembly is the process of packaging bulk components into finished goods at a warehouse or an outsource facility. The product’s components are picked and inserted into end-use packaging.

Asset-Based Provider

A carrier that actually has the assets (e.g., trucks, terminals, warehouses, etc.) to provide physical pickup, line-haul and delivery service.

Astray Freight

When part or all of a shipment moves on a route different from the standard route shown in the computer.

ATA Carnet

A customs document enabling one to carry or send goods temporarily into certain foreign countries without paying duties or posting bonds.

Authorized Party

The entity that can legally provide instructions that override those contained in the BOL; usually the shipper, occasionally the third party or the consignee.

Backhaul

The opposite of head haul. Traditionally referred to as the return trip of a transportation vehicle (usually a truck). Now, it generally refers to the least revenue-generating leg of a shipment haul. A backhaul can be with a full or partially loaded trailer.

Batch picking

Order picking method where orders are grouped into small batches. An order picker will pick all orders within the batch in one pass.

Bill of Lading (B/L or BOL)

A legal document signed by the shipper and carrier tendering the responsibility of the freight to the carrier. The BOL states pertinent information for the shipment such as the complete address of the shipper and consignee, number of pieces, description, weight and any hazardous material information.

Bill No Freight (BNF)

Entire shipment short.

Bobtailing

Driving a tractor without a trailer attached.

Booking

An arrangement with a shipping company for the acceptance and carriage of freight.

Break a Trailer

Unload a trailer.

Break Terminal (Break-bulk)

The consolidation of freight from several terminals to build full loads that concentrate on longer haul lanes.

Broker

See Transportation Broker.

Canada Customs Invoice

A commercial invoice for northbound shipments going into Canada that accompanies the shipment from point of pickup to customs clearance.

Canadian Customs Broker

A licensed person or firm engaged in entering and clearing goods through customs for a client (importer). All shipments to and from Canada require a broker. The Canadian consignee typically selects the broker.

Carousel

Type of automated material handling equipment generally used for high-volume, small-parts order-picking operations.

Carrier

An individual, partnership or corporation engaged in the business of transporting goods.

Certificate of Origin

Required by the customs broker to determine the correct rate of duty under the North American Free trade Agreement (NAFTA).

City Dispatch

The part of the terminal operations charged with coordinating the pickup and delivery of shipments.

City Driver (P&D Driver)

A driver that is responsible for making pickups and deliveries from a specific terminal location. These drivers usually have a geographical area that they operate within. A city driver usually makes deliveries in the morning and picks up freight in the afternoon.

City Loading Diagram

A form used by destination dock personnel to record each shipment on a city trailer as it is loaded. It must include the initials of each person loading the freight on the trailer. This form also includes such information as the date, trailer number, delivery area the P&D driver will be running, PRO number and number of pieces in each shipment.

City Run (Pedal Run)

A route in which the driver stays within the boundaries serviced by the terminal.

Claim

A written request to a carrier from a shipper to be compensated for loss, damage, delay or overcharge of a package transported by that carrier.

Class

A rating assigned to products based on their value and shipping characteristics, e.g., density and how the freight is packaged. It is a system of seventeen classes, from class 50 to 500, which determines the rate.

COD (Cash on Delivery)

Refers to the payment for the goods being shipped. If this section of the Bill of Lading is filled in, the carrier cannot deliver the goods unless payment is collected at time of delivery for the goods. This money is collected on behalf of the shipper.

Collect (COL)

Freight charges to be paid by the consignee upon delivery or charged to their established account.

Commercial Invoice/Pro Forma

The bill of sale that contains all relevant shipping information such as payment terms, quantities, prices, discounts and a complete description of the shipment.

Commodity

Goods shipped.

Common Carrier

Any person or company available to the general public for transportation of property by motor vehicle over regular or irregular routes in interstate and/ or intrastate commerce.

Concealed Damage/Shortage

Customer calls the carrier to declare an exception to their shipment after delivery has occurred and after the carrier has received a clear delivery receipt. Industry standard for reporting concealed damage is 15 days after delivery.

Consignee

Person or company receiving freight from point of origin.

Consignor

Person or company shipping freight to point of des

Consolidation

The act of combining multiple shipments into one larger shipment going to a specific destination.

Containerization

The practice or technique of using a box-like or other device in which a number of packages are stored, protected and handled as a unit in transit.

Contract

A contract is a legally binding agreement that defines and governs the rights and duties between or among its parties

Country of Origin

The country in which a product or commodity is manufactured or produced.

Cross-Dock

Typically, the action of unloading materials from an inbound trailer or rail car and immediately loading these materials in outbound trailers or rail cars, thus eliminating the need for warehousing/storage.

Crossmember, rear

The transverse member at the extreme rear of a trailer to which the bumper is normally mounted and on which the stop, tail and turn lights are often installed.

Cube

A term used to describe the space used in a trailer based on floor space and height.

Cubic Inches (Cu. In.)

The length times the width times the height of a given box or package; used in determining density factors, dimensional weights and container capacity.

Customer Order Number

The number used by the customer to identify the purchase of the goods.

Customs

The agency or procedure for collecting duties imposed by a country on imports or exports.

Customs Broker

A company who clears freight through customs for an importer. The broker submits all pertinent customs documentation and pays any duties/taxes incurred on the importer’s behalf. A freight forwarder and customs broker are not mutually exclusive, though oftentimes, forwarders offer brokerage as well.

Customs Clearance

The act of obtaining permission to import merchandise from another country into the importing nation.

CWT

Per hundred weight. Hundred weight is equal to exactly 100 pounds.

Cycle Count

Refers to the process of regularly scheduled inventory counts (usually daily) that “cycle” through your inventory.

Damage

Goods that sustain injury before, during or after transit, which can result in the shipper’s, consignee’s or carrier’s liability.

Dead Head (Dead-Heading)

A shipment from one terminal to another with no applicable freight charges. Also used to describe the return of an empty transportation container/ trailer back to a terminal or facility (empty backhaul).

Declared Value (Code: “DEC”)

Documents the total dollar value of the goods being shipped by the shipper. This is necessary when the rates applied to a shipment are based on the value of the goods.

Delivery

The act of transferring freight from the carrier to the consignee.

Delivery Receipt (DR)

A legal document signed by the consignee and ITF Group that completes the contract of carriage when the freight is received.

Demurrage

The detention of containers by the shippers or receivers of freight beyond the specified free time. See also Waiting Time.

Destination

Final delivery point.

Department of Transportation (DOT)

The governing body concerned about any commerce that crosses state lines. Principally, this segment of the government regulates the interstate truck operations.

Direct Loading

Loading of shipments direct from one service center to another without an intermediate stop for rehandling.

Dispatch/Dispatcher

The scheduling and control of intercity traffic and intracity pickup and delivery; an individual tasked to assign available transportation loads to available drivers.

Disposition

Authorized instructions given to a common carrier regarding the movement of a shipment.

Distressed Freight

Any shipment that has a problem causing either a delay in delivery service or non-delivery.

Distribution

The activities associated with the movement of material—usually finished goods or service parts—from the manufacturer to the customer. Can include the following: assembly, transportation, warehousing, inventory control, material handling, order administration, site and location analysis, industrial packaging, data processing, and the communications network necessary for effective management.

Distribution Service

A service in which the carrier accepts one shipment from one shipper and, after transporting it as a single shipment, separates it into a number of parts at the destination and distributes them to many receivers.

Dock

A space used for receiving merchandise at a freight terminal.

Dock Personnel

Persons hired to load and unload freight from the trailers.

Dolly

An auxiliary axle assembly equipped with a fifth wheel (coupling device), for the purpose of converting a semi-trailer into a full-trailer (or for hauling multiple trailers behind a single power unit). The dolly, or converter dolly, is towed by a semi-trailer and supports the front of, and tows, another semi-trailer. Also referred to as “bogie”.

Drop Trailer

A situation where the carrier spots, or drops off a trailer at the customer’s location for loading and/or unloading of freight without the carrier’s driver being present.

Drop Trailer Agreement

A mutual agreement in writing between the customer and ITF Group when a trailer is spotted for loading and/or unloading purposes.

Dunnage

Items such as scrap pallets, cardboard, etc., which are used to secure freight by filling in the spaces between boxes.

Duty

The tax imposed by a government on merchandise imported from another country.

Employer Identification Number (EIN)

An EIN is also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, and is used to identify a business entity.

Empties

Trailers without freight.

En Route

On the way to the destination.

Exclusive Use

Full use of a carrier’s trailer by one customer. No other customer’s freight is allowed on the trailer.

Expedite

Rush handling of a shipment.

FCL (Full Container Load)

The most common types of containers are 20′, 40′ and 40′ “High- Cube” containers.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCA)

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was established as a separate administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation. Its primary mission is to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses.

FIFO

First-in-first-out. In warehousing, it describes the method of rotating inventory to use oldest product first.

Fifth Wheel

A coupling device mounted to a tractor or a dolly used to connect a semi-trailer and a tractor, or two semi-trailers. A semi-truck trailer is supported at the rear by its own wheels and at the front by the fifth wheel, which is mounted to a tractor or dolly.

Fill Rate

Sales order processing measurement that quantifies the ability to fill orders.

Forklift (Tow Motor)

A motorized vehicle used to move freight that cannot be handled with a dock cart.

Forklift Extensions

Longer blades that are attached to the regular blades of the forklift to enable it to move odd-shaped freight and long pallets.

Freight charge

Payment due for freight transportation.

Freight Forwarder

The company authorized by a shipper to perform the services required to facilitate the export of items from the United States.

FSC

See Fuel Surcharge.

Fuel Surcharge (FSC)

An additional charge added to the freight bill for the price of fuel according to the National Fuel Index to offset the high cost of fuel.

Fulfillment

A process that supplies a finished manufactured product directly from a manufacturing facility to a distributor or end user. The fulfillment cycle may include receiving customer orders, configuring the products to order, shipping and invoicing products to distribution outlets or end users.

Full Trailer

A truck trailer with wheels on both ends (as compared to a semitrailer in which the front rests on the rear of the power unit).

Gaylord

The trade name for a large, reusable, standard-sized corrugated container used for shipping materials.

Gross Weight

The entire weight of a shipment including containers and packaging materials.

Hand Truck

A manual device used to move piece goods, cartons and appliances. It usually has two wheels.

Head Haul

The term used to define the highest revenue-generating shipping lane from shipper to consignee. Opposite of backhaul.

Head Load

First load used to start a trailer.

Hostler

An individual employed to move trucks and trailers within a terminal or warehouse yard area. See yard jockey.

Hours of Service (HOS)

A ruling that stipulates the amount of time a driver is allowed to work enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. On January 4, 2004, the HOS rule was changed from a driver being allowed to drive for 10 hours and break for 8 consecutive hours with 15 hours on duty in a day to the current rule of driving for 11 hours and breaking for 10 consecutive hours with 14 hours on duty.

Image

A visual impression of a document such as a Bill of Lading and/or a delivery receipt.

Import

To bring merchandise into a country from another country or overseas territory.

Import License

A governmental document that permits the importation of a product or material into a country where such licenses are necessary.

Inbound

Freight moving toward a terminal.

Incoterm

A codification of international rules for the uniform interpretation of common contract clauses in export/import transactions involving goods. Developed and issued by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris.

Inside Pickup and
Delivery Service

Pickup or delivery service to locations other than the shipping dock.

Inspection

An examination, viewing or checking over for the purpose of ascertaining the quality, authenticity or conditions of an item or product.

Intact

To keep the shipment whole and/or undisturbed by shrink-wrap, banding, plastic straps or gaylords.

Intermodal

Relating to transportation by more than one means of conveyance. For instance, transportation by both truck and rail is referred to as intermodal transportation.

Interstate

Freight moving between states.

Intrastate

Freight moving within a state.

King Pin

A large steel pin located beneath the front of a trailer. The king pin fits down into the jaws on the fifth wheel of a tractor or a dolly, thereby hooking the tractor up to the trailer, or the pup up to the first trailer.

Kitting

See Assembly

LCL

Less-than-Container-Load

Left on Board (LOB)

Freight that has not been worked or taken off a trailer.

Legal Holidays

Any national, state, provincial or local legal holiday.

Less-than-Container-Load

See LCL

Less-Than-Truckload (LTL)

Less than a truckload.

Lift Gate

A power-operated tailgate capable of lifting a load from street level to the level of a truck or trailer floor or vice versa.

Line-haul

The movement of freight over the road/rail from origin terminal to destination terminal, usually over long distances.

Load Bars

Removable metal bars used to brace freight inside the trailer.

Load Lock

A device used to secure and brace freight in a trailer.

Load Manifest

See Manifest.

Load Racks

Racks used like shelves in a trailer to add an additional layer of loading space.

Load Pedal Run

A trailer loaded with numerous shipments that are to be delivered within the geographical area that a terminal services. Also referred to as a City Run.

Locator System

Locator systems are inventory-tracking systems that allow you to assign locations to your inventory to facilitate greater tracking and the ability to store product randomly. By using locator systems, you can increase space utilization by matching the physical characteristics of your product to a location whose physical characteristics meet those specified.

Log

A driver’s record of duty for hours of service.

Logistics

All activities involved in the management of product movement, including delivering the right product from the right origin to the right destination, with the right quality and quantity, at the optimal schedule and price.

Logistics Post Trailers

Trailers that have slotted posts to attach load beams for the purpose of stacking and bracing to provide optimal protection for freight.

LTL

See Less-Than-Truckload.

Manifest

Document that lists and describes in detail the goods in a load on a vehicle. As a rule, agents at the place of loading draw up the manifest. Also referred to as the shipping document.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

A document prepared by the manufacturer that provides detailed information on hazardous as well as nonhazardous materials, including potential hazardous effects, their physical and chemical characteristics, and recommendations for appropriate protective measures as well as cleanup and disposal methods.

Maximum Charge

The highest amount of freight and/or accessorial charges ITF Group will bill the customer.

Minimum Charge

The least amount of freight and/or accessorial charges ITF Group will bill the customer.

Nose

The front of the trailer closest to the tractor.

Noted Damage

Damage discovered before or at the time of delivery of a shipment.

Noted Loss

Loss discovered before or at the time of delivery of a shipment.

Outbound

Freight on a trailer that is moving out from a terminal.

Overage

A situation where there is more freight than is specified on the freight bill.

Overflow

Added freight that, due to capacity, could not be loaded with the rest of the shipment in the original load.

Air Brakes

Extra charges applied for services performed above what is considered standard.

P&D

Pickup and delivery. Local movement of freight between the shipper (or pickup point) and the origin terminal or between the destination terminal and the consignee (or delivery point).

Packing List or Packing Slip
(Code: “PSA”)

A document provided by the shipper that travels with the freight and usually lists the contents of the shipment. It may be attached to the freight and/or the Bill of Lading or sent with the shipment as an additional piece of freight.

Pallet

A wooden frame, typically 48" × 48" used for unitizing freight.

Palletized Freight

Freight that is being shipped on a pallet.

Pallet Jack

A manual device with fork extensions that can be positioned under a pallet to move it from one location to another.

Payload

Total weight of the commodity being carried on a truck at a given time, including packaging, banding, etc.

Pick and Pack

A process, usually done in a warehouse facility, wherein a company or third party organization (usually from a warehouse facility) accepts retail orders, picks products from inventory, packs them, and then ships them to an end user.

Pick and Pass

See Zone Picking.

Pick Up

The act of transferring freight from the shipper to the carrier, ultimately delivering the freight to the consignee.

Pigtail

Cable used to transmit electrical power from the tractor to the trailer. It is so named because it is coiled like a pig’s tail.

Pintle Hook

Coupling device used in double-trailer, triple-trailer and truck-trailer combinations. It has a curved, fixed towing horn and an upper latch that opens to accept the drawbar eye of a trailer or dolly.

Placards

The square-on-point symbol on each side of the trailer signifying the hazardous materials loaded on the trailer.

Point of Origin

The terminal at which freight is received from the shipper.

Pool Distribution

To help avoid excessive offloads, multiple LTL shipments headed for a common marketplace are combined onto one trailer. The freight is then delivered to a central distribution facility for local or short-route delivery. This generally reduces handling, lowers costs and shortens transit times.

Prepaid (PPD)

Freight charges that have been or will be paid by the shipper and/or a third party.

Private Residence

Any house, apartment, barracks or dormitory serving as the living quarters of the shipper or the consignee.

Progressive Rotating Order
(PRO)

See PRO Number.

PRO Labels

Self-adhesive stickers used to identify shipments. They are placed on the customer’s Bill of Lading, the freight bill and the freight itself.

PRO Number

Pre-assigned, ten-digit freight bill number given to each shipment to serve as a tracking number. PRO is an acronym for “progressive rotating order.”

Proof of Delivery (POD)

Information supplied by the carrier containing the name of the person who signed for the shipment, the time and date of delivery, and other shipment delivery-related information.

Public Auction

The sale of any shipment or portion of a shipment that is on-hand to the highest bidder by an auctioneer hired by ITF Group.

Pull Deployment

See Automatic Store Replenishment.

Pup

A 28-foot trailer.

Rapid Clear Form

This form allows you to reduce the amount of paperwork involved in crossborder shipping since it replaces the need to complete the Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice and Certificate of Origin.

Rates

Basic cost of a shipment, excluding accessorial charges.

Reconsignment

Any changes made in the consignment of a shipment before delivery is accomplished.

Recovery Drum

An oversized container in which a damaged shipping container can be placed to contain leaks. Can be either plastic or metal.

Redelivery

An attempt to deliver the freight back to the consignee after the freight was originally refused.

Refusal

Freight for which delivery was attempted; however, the consignee was not willing to accept the goods for a number of potential reasons.

Return to Shipper

A shipment being sent back to the shipper with or without freight/ accessorial charges.

Reverse Logistics

Service that enables end users to reposition used, damaged or outdated products or reusable packaging sometimes called returns. These items are retrieved from end users, consolidated and delivered back to the requestor’s centralized receiving locations.

Road Driver

A driver that does not usually perform the final delivery of the freight; rather, the road driver hauls the freight from terminal to terminal, generally during the night.

Safety stock

Quantity of inventory used in inventory management systems to allow for deviations in demand or supply.

Salvage

The portion of damaged goods or property that has been saved or recovered.

SCAC

Standard Carrier Alpha Code. See Owner Code.

Seal Intact

The seal placed on a trailer door that has not been broken.

Seals and Locks

Devices designed to ensure the security and contents of a trailer. Seals are metal, self-locking strips with numbers that match the numbers on the manifest. They have to actually be broken in order to access the contents of the trailer.

Semi

A truck trailer with no front-end axle. A king pin underneath the front end of the trailer attaches to a fifth wheel allowing that end of the trailer to rest on a tractor or a dolly. It is supported at the rear by its own wheels.

Shipment

A single consignment of one or more pieces from one shipper, at one address; signed for in one lot; and moving on one waybill to one receiver at one destination.

Shipper

The person/company that gives the shipment to the carrier for delivery to the consignee; the person/company shipping the freight.

Shipper’s Load and Count (SLC)

Standard Bill of Lading and manifest clause used by mutual agreement of both shipper and carrier for containerized cargo that is loaded and sealed by the shipper. As a result, the piece count in the container is not checked or otherwise verified by the carrier.

Shipper’s Load and Count Agreement

A mutual agreement in writing between the shipper and the carrier. This agreement is signed when a trailer is dropped for the shipper to load the freight without a driver being present.

Shipping Manifest System

Software used to associate shipments with carrier, service, rate, etc. Shipping manifest systems will produce a report (physical or electronic) that is sent to the carrier to be used for billing purposes.

Shortage

A situation that occurs when a shipment has fewer pieces than are called for on the freight bill.

Sleeper

A truck tractor that has a sleeping compartment in the cab.

Sleeper Teams

Two drivers who operate a truck equipped with a sleeper berth. While one driver sleeps in the berth to accumulate mandatory off-duty time, the other driver operates the vehicle.

Spotting

Placing a container in a required place for loading or unloading.

Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC)

See Owner Code.

Storage Charges

Costs that begin to accrue after the shipper has been notified of non-delivery and has not provided disposition.

Stripping

The act of unloading a trailer.

Supply Chain

The organization of processes used to move goods from the customer order through the raw materials stage, assembly, supply, production and distribution of products to the customer.

Tare Weight

The weight of a container and/or packing materials without the weight of the goods it contains (the actual weight of the empty container).

Third Party

Paying party other than the shipper or consignee. Terms can be prepaid or collect.

Trace

To check the movement of a shipment.

Tractor

The cab, or the engine-powered vehicle, used to pull a trailer.

Tractor Trailer

Tractor and semitrailer combination; a complete rig.

Trailer

The part of the rig used to haul goods. It is hooked up to an engine-powered tractor.

Trailer Exception Report

This is a form used by the unloading terminal alerting the shippers and/ or carriers of any exceptions on freight picked up on a Shipper’s Load and Count basis. The report must be given to the shipper within 24 hours after first break of a trailer.

Transportation Broker

A person whose business it is to prepare shipping and customs documents for international shipments. Brokers often have offices at major freight gateways, including border crossings, seaports, and airports. See also Customs Broker.

Truckload

Truckload shipping is the movement of large amounts of homogeneous cargo, generally the amount necessary to fill an entire semi-trailer or intermodal container.

Unloading Manifest (Road)

A document that lists all the shipments on the trailer and is used by dock personnel in the unloading of freight. This document is also used to record any exceptions off the trailer.

Van

A trailer with an enclosed cargo space.

Waiting Time

When a vehicle is held at a pickup or delivery site beyond the specified free time.

Warehouse

Storage place for products. Principal warehouse activities include receipt of product, storage, order picking and shipment.

Waybill

A document issued by a carrier giving details and instructions relating to the shipment of a consignment of goods.

WMS (Warehouse Management System)

A software application designed to support and optimize warehouse functionality and distribution center management.

Yard Jockey

Person who operates a yard tractor.

Yard Tractor (Yard Mule)

Special tractor used to move trailers around a terminal, warehouse, distribution center, etc.

Zone

An area or route for pickup and/or delivery operations. Also applies to specific areas of the dock for loading and unloading.

Ready to Simplify
Your Logistics?

Schedule a call, and let’s talk.

Start a call

Ready to Simplify
Your Logistics?

Schedule a call, and let’s talk.

Start a call

Ready to Simplify
Your Logistics?

Schedule a call, and let’s talk.

Start a call